My wandering mind

Here I am right smack in the middle of remodeling my basement yet I find myself dreaming about the future remodel of our kitchen. Is that crazy? Is it odd? I just don't know. Could it be that I so desperately long for the change in the kitchen (more efficient floor plan, new appliances that actually work) that I so selfishly focus on it? Honestly, the remodel in the basement is a gift. To say I strongly disliked the way it looked before we bought the house is well, an understatement. There wasn't a single thing I liked about it. Not one thing. I didn't bother to furnish it or put photos up. The only time the place was dusted was twice a year: Thanksgiving and my oldest son's birthday. Yes, I admit that. I am the type of person who finds it very difficult to care for a space that I don't love. I did the same thing with my 13 y-o minivan, by the way. I will spend some time this evening surfing the internet for furniture pieces to store an xbox and a playstation along with many other electronic media devices that I don't even know how to turn on, let alone make any use of. So, there's my answer. This media room remodel isn't for me. It is for my husband and children and their visiting friends. I don't watch tv. I'm not a gamer. I don't even know how to sit still long enough to do anything leisurely like that. The kitchen is my space. It is where I spend all of my time throughout the day and late into the night. There lies the reasoning behind my lack of attention. So, dear hubby, thank you so much for the work you do and continue to do to make our house a home. I will try to focus on the task at hand and not wander (to far) away from where you are.

xo Emily

Part Two of PB Basic vs. Ikea Ektorp

Whew! Whoa! Whaaaat! I got lost in our remodel and left blogland for quite some time. Here I am and I am ready to write.
I have had my Ektorp for almost a year now. It is holding up quite well. Kids, dogs, friends, hubs, everyone sits on it and enjoys it. It is easily mistaken for our old pb basic sofa. I am happy to report that the stiffness of the cushions is a thing of the pass. They have softened with time and we all enjoy sitting on it.
Overall, the construction of the two sofas appears to be where the similarities make them well, two very different sofas. I can't tell you what my pb sofa looks like on the inside. The guts of her are protected by upholstery and stuffing. The ektorp's guts are there and exposed for all of the world to see. Her skirt flutters upward with a slight breeze and ugh! She is cheap and easy! Nothing to hide! She is vulnerable and I don't like it. So why did I invest in more pieces you ask? Because I am cheap but in no way easy. Oh no, not easy at all.

Pottery Barn basic chair

Ikea Ektorp

Solid wood PB basic leg (Does she sugar those beauties?)

Ikea Ektorp (plastic darling. Nothing but plastic.)

The soft drape of the basic white twill cover.

Ikea Ektorp. The skilled seamstress called-in sick that day.

The plastic legs show now that I washed the cover once and followed the instructions. Bummer.

Naked PB Basic

Naked Ektorp

Ektorp

That is visible plywood(?) and this "upholstery" is dang near see through.

PB Basic. No plywood, or hinges, or guts. She is classy. I like to have girls like this over to Highland.

(Ummm, yes, that is a sock on the floor. My dog has a fetish, okay? The funkier the better.)

 

Yes, those are her springs and hinges that you see. And yes, that "fabric" tears very easily.

 

 

The ektorp cover shrunk-up tightly after the first wash. My basic and charleston covers never did that. It is so tight, the cusions are bending inside them. When I called ikea and asked about this, I was told the covers are not under the 10-year warranty; only certain parts of the frame. When my first cranberry twill cover from PB faded excessively, it was replaced immediately. PB even had the defective one picked-up for me at their cost -not mine. Ikea said "too bad, so sad, sista!"

 

Isn't that a pretty label? Yep. I love her.

 Okay, okay. So you get it. The PB Basic sofa and cousins are the better buy. It really is that simple. If you want comfort, quality, and excellent service, then buy the PB Basic. Everything about it is better. Everything. Splurge on the down cusion option which is simply a dream. We have the down cushions on our Charleston. Like naps? Oh yeah. If I had all of the money I needed, I would buy anything but ikea furniture. I've been to the stores several times. I've looked at the pieces. I've flipped them over and wiggled them and tested them the way my pets and children would live on them. But, Ikea furniture fits into this mom's budget so I buy it and I like it. I can buy THREE ikea Ektorp sofas for LESS THAN the price of ONE PB Basic sofa. I can buy 12-14 (seriously?) new Ektorp covers for the price of ONE PB Basic cover. (BTW, the ektorp chair and sofa covers fit on the PB pieces ;). They are tight, but they do fit.) I haven't tried purchasing a pottery barn basic cover and putting it on an ektorp. That is a great idea though. It would probably produce some great results. I might have to do that. I confess that I love the pb basic covers. Even the least expensive twill covers are so much better in quality than the ektorp covers.

Now, listen closely, buy ektorp covers and keep them on your pb basic pieces. When you are having a party or guests, put the pb slipcovers on. Keep them nice and tidy for the good days. You know, like your good china or guest towels. I don't have either, but I'm sure some of you do.

Friends, you get what you pay for.

Buy the Ektorp if you are broke and/or have kids, dogs, friends, and you eat, drink, sit, live on your furniture. I recommend them. However I strongly recommend the pb basic simply because of the quality of construction. They are made in the USA too. Buy the Pottery Barn furniture if your budget allows.

Will you sweat bullets if someone wants to watch a Tinkerbell movie and eat Cheetos at the same time? Seriously. Don't sweat the small stuff just buy OXYCLEAN.

I'M BACK!

Thanks for stopping in!

~Emily

Part I : Ikea Ektorp vs. Pottery Barn Basic Sofas and Chairs

Of course a disclaimer first: I am not an employee of Ikea nor Pottery Barn. I am not being compensated for this review. I was an employee of Pottery Barn for a few years but have not been for over three years now.

Waaaaaaay back in  December of 2000 I purchased a Pottery Barn Basic Sofa. It was frustrating. It took over three months to be delivered and did not come with a slipcover. I ordered a "quick-ship" sofa and cover that should have arrived within two weeks. It did not. I was not compensated and was disappointed with the "Oh well!" attitude I received on the phone. The slipcover came separately in the mail. That was fine. I purchased the cranberry twill cover and I loved it! I was young and it was fun and looked great for the holidays. Several years later, I purchased the Basic Chair. I still have it and am very pleased. No complaints.

When I washed the cranberry cover for the first time, it streaked and faded noticeably. I contacted PB immediately and was told that dry cleaning was recommended even though care instructions on the cover read that it was machine washable. I stated my case and they immediately sent me a new cover. I was pleased about that.

It looked just like this. Pic via Pottery Barn.

This sofa lasted about ten years. It was well constructed. I was very pleased with the comfort and quality. After nine years, its old bones began to squeak and creak and sag. The back and seat cushions held on and never disappointed me. Rhyan complained that the basic was too small for a grown man to be comfortable on it. It was perfect for me and the kiddos. It was our only sofa and I am sentimental. I wanted to fix it. I called an upholsterer about repairing the PB bones and he recommended I buy another sofa. So, I sold it on craigslist (regretfully) for $200. I paid $1300 for it back then, so I got my money out of it.

We replaced it with a Pottery Barn Charleston Sofa in September 2009. My heart melted when that sofa arrived. Oh, how I loved thee! Again, it took over three months (what??) to be delivered but I didn't care! It came with a fantabulous white denim slipcover and those back pillows! I love that sofa. That is why she is still with me today. I wrote in a previous post how I recently ordered a white twill cover for her. It was pricey, so I waited for a 20% off email and a tax return. The white denim cover needed replacing only two years after we purchased it. It frayed and ripped. We wore that fabric out. I washed it constantly and the kids had a blast with the pillows and cushions making forts and having pillow fights. It was our only sofa and we five Lindleys could all fit on it for movie night. Not anymore, of course. The kids are growing!

Image via Pottery Barn

I also purchased the Charleston Ottoman at the same time. It is great and I think they are a must have together. The dogs like to lay on it and my feet still fit too!

My Ikea Ektorp Sofa and PB Charleston Ottoman

Then, in November 2011, we made the all-day-long trek to Chicago and purchased our Ikea Ektorp Sofa and Chair. To say I was a bit shocked at what I saw when I opened the boxes, is well, an understatement. Then I remembered what I paid for them. Remember : One always gets what one pays for. I was okay with that because it was going into the sunroom where the children watch TV and eat snacks. A new white cover would be only $49 for the sofa and $29 for the chair. A mom on a budget can't beat that. I was okay with the kids making it work to earn space in this frequented room. The Ektorp and the Basic look very similar but the similarities stop right there. Because of this Ikea purchase, the regal Charleston was moved to the media room where its over-sized presence and fluffy loose pillows will be appreciated and gently cuddled. It is in a much safer place now.

Part II of the review will be up tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping by!

~Emily

Drywall

Drywall is a tough job. It is the job I don't like to get myself into. Actually, I tend to (ahem) disappear when this starts. That is why I am so thankful for this fella:

Papa Joe!

The master professional drywaller.

He works hard all day long on the job only to show up at our house to help us. Drywallers get dusty, dirty, full of mud and plaster. They sweat all day long on the job. It is tough work and it takes a lot of skill to get the job done right. If you don't, there are such things as nail/screw pops. The nails or screws that were used, will work their way through the mud that was spread over them. On a very bad job, you can count every single pop! There are cracks in the drywall. There are mud and tape seams that show. If the corners aren't done correctly, they are very easily beaten up and will begin to literally crumble. I suggest you hire a skilled drywaller. They deserve the work and will leave you with a home absent of flaws...at least the drywall. But, they are not carpenters!

(Wannabe-wood-but-is-actually-gas-stove will be removed in the fall. That job requires professional work that is not in the budget. The stove will be sold to purchase accessories for the soon-to-be-completed media room.)

Papa Joe knew all about this little trick here to make a nice and tidy line up to the wood. We thought we were going to have to trim this wall silly with little pieces to hide the spaces between drywall and wood walls. I don't even know what this is called. I will have to ask him. But the walls are finished and they look fantastic!

Photo of future playspace. Unfinished and without sprayed texture. Still trying to decide on wall paint for this space. I was going to leave it white. I am concerned that I won't like the high contrast of the brown and white.

Another angle looking into the Guest bedroom from the playspace.

The texture -orange peel- is on the wall. I am sorry I don't have any photos of this process. I was working when that went down. The big guns that Joe uses to spray texture on the walls has some ooomph to it. Rhyan and Joe protected everything they could with taped paper and plastic sheeting.

This paper is about thirty-six inches wide. The spray ended up slightly passed that. It wasn't to bad and vacuumed right up once it was dry.  This carpet will need  pro cleaning anyway.

I wish I could get a good picture of the texture from the mud being sprayed on the walls, but I can't. The walls are now primed and ready for paint! I have to head to Home depot to get trim and our local Sauk Prairie Ace Hardware for the Benjamin Moore Woodgrain paint.

This is the finished look (before painting) of that area that runs right up to the wood millwork of the stairs. Papa Joe was right. It is dang near perfect!

No amount of demo will stop these gamers!

I barely had time to snap photos!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Emily

Slight delay, but that won't stop me!

We spent several hours in our local emergency last night. I finally talked Rhyan into stopping to have his ankle looked at. He is still limping around ten days after his ankle injury playing basketball. X-rays and a CT scan unfortunately revealed that his "sprain" was actually a fractured mortise joint and torn ligament. He is disappointed with the delay but hopes to heal within the next few weeks. I am glad to have an answer and have him on the road to recovery.

But his injury doesn't slow me down!
I ordered these today:

Pottery Barn Charleston white twill slipcover.

I have a charleston now, I only needed a new cover. My last one took a beating as our main sofa. It is being moved to the media room where it will receive less abuse. An Ikea Ektorp sofa took its place.

These wonderful dottie sheets from Pottery Barn Teen. Anna will have the bright pink sheets when we move on to her big girl room. Her crib and changing table are on Craigslist now.

I also purchased these Vintage Camo sheets in the blue for Ben and the black for Isaiah. I can't wait to start on their rooms!

Isaiah currently has this sheeting from Pottery Barn Kids. We've had it for over two years now. It has held up very well and looks just about brand new. He might use this in the room too. The Benjamin Moore colors I plan to use for the space coordinate very well with all.

Have a wonderful evening!

Thanks for visiting!

~Emily

Media Room progress...

We've had some delays. Rhyan rolled his ankle during a Friday morning basketball game before work. Actually, it was stomped on by an overzealous opponent. He needed a day or two to recover. Nine days later, the poor guy is still limping and his ankle and foot are still purple. Yeeeouch!

This wall is the only one without drywall. We have to install a cold air return vent here directly to the furnace. That is what is pictured on the other side of the wall studs. The previous owners finished the basement themselves and did not install one. That is against building codes and it makes for a very chilly movie night! Papa Joe will swoop in and do this for us!

That's Miss Anna entertaining herself while I sort through toys!

Getting rid of this pile of stress was very liberating! I sorted and organized and ended up with 8 boxes of toys for a garage sale.

E-I-G-H-T B-O-X-E-S!!!

That will be added to the other gazillion bags and boxes

of toys for the yearly garage sale on Highland.

I was brutal while going through the toys after Christmas.

Brutal for three reasons:

1.) My children are blessed and don't play with most of what they have.

                    2.) We are remodeling both of the kids' rooms immediately after finishing the media room. The boys will be moved to the media room during that work which means their

toys will be moved there also.

3.) Excessive amounts of ANYTHING (except quilts) stress me out. Why?

Well, I am the only one who needs them to be tidy and sorted. So I am the ONLY

one who does it, ummmm, shall we say, my way? That's right. So, when there is

too much for me to pick up, I sell or donate.

This is the area under the stairs in the media room. I close the door and

get happy again! Ahhhhhh! I love order! (Insert long exhale and sigh of relief here.)

The toys the children are able to keep are here. They each have spots in their rooms

and two baskets in the sunroom.

The "toy closet" is behind this wall. We couldn't even see the floor in that space a week ago.

But now, that wall looks like this:

Yeah! We already love the difference and the drywall isn't even finished.

The most difficult sheet goes up right the first time! I was most impressed with Rhyan's skills.

He got this right on the first cut! He had to mention that only master professional drywallers (yeah, but babe, you're an attorney) can get a sheet cut like that on the first shot! I guess drywalling is like riding a bike...once one learns, one never forgets!

Isn't that impressive?

And this?

But...not this.

Yep, that happened when I tried to  pretend to be a master professional drywaller help.

Rhyan wanted his dad to know who did that.

Not nice.

HGTV - Candice Olson (?)

Ikea Expedit...because it fits the budget and looks pretty good.

-House Beautiful-

Woodsy brown walls with some rustic glamour thrown in.

This room is just right!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Emily



Progress?

When I take on any new project in my home,

things get worse before they

get better. 

For example...painted pine TNG (tongue and groove). We thought we could paint it white and love it. We.did.not.love.it.

It was a little more shabby than chic for my taste. So, we decided to remove all of the TNG from the walls and leave the ceiling. The TNG will be replaced with drywall. Have I mentioned that Papa Joe is a contractor and that includes some major drywalling skills? Well, hubby grew up drywalling and is going to take care of this little project for us. I am sure that his dad (AKA Papa Joe) will be there to supervise and lend a helping hand!

Our three children watched this classic. Rhyan and Benny take turns reciting their fav quotes throughout the movie. Yesiree, we raise 'em up right around here!

After three solid hours of work, a few blisters, a small wound on hubby's hand, and a broken pair of pliers, we saw a whole lot of, well...not the progress we imagined.

These are only some of the pieces we are hoping to reuse. We use a black sharpie to write on the back of the pieces. We are very specific about naming the exact location of anything that we remove and plan to use again in the future in the same location. I made the mistake, only once, of removing trim to refinish it and we NEVER got those pieces of trim correctly placed again.

We called it quits at 7:30. After a quick vacuum (there were wood splinters everywhere) we all headed upstairs for a snack before bedtime. Once we had the children to bed, hubby ever so cautiously mentioned to me that we really should have a major media room pick-up before starting the next wall. I guess I have to agree with him!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Emily